When we hear, “Go ahead and have a seat — you’ll be called back shortly,” we all know what that really means. You sit in a row of stiff chairs, surrounded by outdated magazines, TV you’re not watching and the buzz of other people’s conversations. For patients, this isn’t just waiting —it’s a moment of anxiety, discomfort or even fear. Yet healthcare continues to treat waiting as passive time instead of a critical part of the care journey.
As an experience designer, I’ve learned that experience is never just about the moment care begins. It’s about the sum of all the interactions, big and small, that…